Indian action of August 5 is neo-fascism, says Sherry

Speakers say Pakistan needs deeper strategic, military vision with China

What happened on August 5 in India must be read by its true label, which is neo fascism, stated Senator Sherry Rehman in her keynote address on the second day of Ideas Conclave organized by Jinnah Institute.

“Article 370 was irrelevant to us, as we never accepted the accession of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), but we must use everything in our power to make known the illegal and forcible annexation that India has carried out in Kashmir this week,” she said.

“We must continue to seek peace, but learn to manage our interests as well. If the centre cannot coordinate our policy stances, then it is the responsibility of the policy community to step up and provide a list of foreign policy options on IOK and the region,” Senator Sherry Rehman said.

PM rules out backing militants for Kashmir

The day opened with a discussion on regional geopolitics in a session titled Cold War Lite: History’s Shadow on Today’s Chessboard with former foreign secretaries Jalil Abbas Jilani and Tehmina Janjua, former federal minister Khurram Dastgir and the Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing.

Speakers stated that Pakistan needs to build a deeper strategic and military vision in consultation with China and our growing global challenges require us to expand this relationship. In a session titled ‘From War to Exit Wounds in Afghanistan’, former foreign secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan and veteran journalists stated that the reconciliation process in Afghanistan was now irreversible, and any party that backs out will suffer the consequences.

This was followed by a session on recent developments in Kashmir. The panel discussion titled ‘India, Pakistan and Kashmir: Where Do We Stand’ included foreign policy practitioners Riaz Khokar, and Tariq Fatemi, and academic Rabia Akhtar, and human rights advocate Ali Dayan Hasan. The panel rejected India’s repeal of Article 370, categorically declaring India’s recent policy decisions as an annexation of IOK. India’s actions in Kashmir constitute gross human rights violations, something that the international community is deliberately ignoring. They noted that confrontation is not the way forward, but the situation can get out of hand if there is any escalation. Panelists agreed they see no normalization after recent developments. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2019.